Leroy N. Soetoro
2017-04-10 20:22:22 UTC
http://www.cnn.com/2017/04/09/middleeast/egypt-church-explosion/
(CNN)ISIS claimed responsibility for bombings that killed 43 at two Coptic
churches in Egypt on Palm Sunday -- brazen strikes against a vulnerable
minority on one of the most important days on the Christian calendar.
ISIS issued the claim on the Telegram messaging platform. The claim was
circulated by several ISIS supporters. ISIS identified the suicide bombers
as Egyptian nationals. Egyptian authorities have not confirmed the
bombers' nationalities.
In their claim of responsibility, ISIS warned of more attacks with this
message: "The Crusaders and their tails from the apostates must be aware
that the bill between us and them is very large and they will be paying it
like a river of blood from their sons, if God willing."
The first blast was in the northern city of Tanta, where a powerful
explosion ripped through a Palm Sunday service at St. George's Church,
killing 27 people and wounding 78 others, state TV reported. The explosive
device was planted under a seat in the main prayer hall, it said.
Not long after that, at least 16 people were killed and 41 others wounded
in a suicide bomb attack outside St. Mark's Coptic Orthodox Cathedral in
Alexandria, according to two state-news outlets. Egyptian state media also
reported that the head of Egypt's Coptic Church, Pope Tawadros II, was
inside the cathedral when the blast happened. He was not injured.
In a statement, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi condemned the
attacks, saying the "outrageous" action "targets both the Copts and
Muslims of the homeland." He ordered investigators to "hunt down the
perpetrators" and "take all measures to offer the necessary care for the
wounded."
He called an urgent meeting of his country's National Defense Council and
declared three days of nationwide mourning.
"The attack will not undermine the resolve and true will of the Egyptian
people to counter the forces of evil, but will only harden their
determination to move forward on their trajectory to realize security,
stability and comprehensive development," the statement said.
United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres also condemned the
attacks and offered his sympathies to the victims and to the country in
statement through a spokesman.
Guterres "wishes a quick recovery to those injured and hopes that the
perpetrators of this horrific terrorist act will be swiftly identified and
brought to justice," the spokesman, Stéphane Dujarric, said.
The US State Department, in a statement, also issued a rebuke, calling the
bombings "barbaric attacks on Christian places of worship."
"The United States will continue to support Egypt's security and stability
in its efforts to defeat terrorism," said acting spokesperson Mark Toner.
Rescue workers help a victim of the attack in Alexandria.
The horrific attacks were the latest against Christians in the region,
this time on Palm Sunday -- the Sunday before Easter, and the day that
marks the start of Holy Week for Christians.
Nile and Masriya TV, Egyptian state outlets, aired black banners in the
upper left of its newscasts to signify mourning for the victims of both
explosions.
News footage from Tanta shows people gathering at the church, singing
hymns. The video then quickly switches to bars as harrowing screams and
cries echo in the background.
"Everything is destroyed inside the church" and blood can be seen on
marble pillars, said Peter Kamel, who saw the aftermath of the carnage.
It appeared the explosive device was placed near the altar, he said.
Priests and the church choir were among the casualties.
In Alexandria, the Interior Ministry said in a statement that police
assigned to St. Mark's stopped a terrorist with an explosive belt from
breaking into the church. Along with civilians, a policeman, a policewoman
and other police staff were killed.
Egyptian blogger Maged Butter told CNN he saw five or six ambulances and
blood stains 100 meters away from the site of the explosion -- which
happened near the church gate.
He said women were crying and looking for their loved ones and were
yelling at police for "not protecting" them.
"Every now and then, I see a person crying -- I think they are Christian -
- and they keep saying: 'have you seen my family? Have you seen my
family?' " Butter said.
Fadi Sami, another witness, was inside the Alexandria cathedral when he
heard about the church bombing in Tanta, when the Coptic pope was leading
the prayers for Palm Sunday.
And even though no one announced the Tanta news, Sami said he could hear
the sadness in the pope's voice. He left as the pope finished the sermon.
Twenty minutes later, a suicide bomber blew himself up at the gate of the
church.
"I came back and the area was covered in smoke. The stores around the
church were all destroyed," he said. "There were bodies and body parts
everywhere, outside and inside the gate. I saw a man put together what was
left of his son in a bag."
Women try to reach loved ones after the attack in Alexandria.
Alexandria sits on the Mediterranean and has a large Christian population.
Downtown is usually busy but was relatively quiet on Sunday because of the
holiday. "This is usually a very busy area, but thank God it is a Sunday,
and many shops are closed," he said.
Copts in Egypt have faced persecution and discrimination that has spiked
since the toppling of Hosni Mubarak's regime in 2011.
Dozens have been killed in sectarian violence. In December, an attack at a
Coptic church in Cairo killed 25 people.
Coptic churches and homes have been set on fire, members of the Coptic
minority have been physically attacked, and their property has been
looted, rights group Amnesty International reported in March.
Coptic Christians make up about 10% of Egypt's population of 91 million.
They base their theology on the teachings of the apostle Mark, who
introduced Christianity to Egypt. Tanta is roughly 60 miles (96
kilometers) north of Cairo, in the Nile delta.
The bombings come days after President Donald Trump welcomed el-Sisi to
Washington and stressed his support for Egypt. Among the topics of mutual
concern were terrorism and ISIS. Trump tweeted a condemnation of Sunday's
attacks and said he has "great confidence el-Sisi will handle the
situation properly."
El-Sisi met Saturday with a US congressional delegation led by US Rep.
Darrell Issa, the Egyptian government said. The meeting addressed Egypt's
counterterrorism efforts and a strategy to fight terror while encouraging
religious tolerance and acceptance of others.
Pope Francis is scheduled to visit Cairo this month, where he will meet
with various religious leaders, including the head of the Coptic Orthodox
Church. He expressed his grief following the church attack.
The Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, called the attacks "evil" and
urged people to pray for the victims. Russia's President Vladimir Putin
condemned the attack and offered his condolences to el-Sisi, according to
Russia's state-run Tass.
--
Donald J. Trump, 304 electoral votes to 227, defeated compulsive liar in
denial Hillary Rodham Clinton on December 19th, 2016. The clown car
parade of the democrat party has run out of gas.
Congratulations President Trump. Thank you for ending the disaster of the
Obama presidency.
Under Barack Obama's leadership, the United States of America became the
The World According To Garp.
ObamaCare is a total 100% failure and no lie that can be put forth by its
supporters can dispute that.
Obama jobs, the result of ObamaCare. 12-15 working hours a week at minimum
wage, no benefits and the primary revenue stream for ObamaCare. It can't
be funded with money people don't have, yet liberals lie about how great
it is.
Obama increased total debt from $10 trillion to $20 trillion in the eight
years he was in office, and sold out heterosexuals for Hollywood queer
liberal democrat donors.
(CNN)ISIS claimed responsibility for bombings that killed 43 at two Coptic
churches in Egypt on Palm Sunday -- brazen strikes against a vulnerable
minority on one of the most important days on the Christian calendar.
ISIS issued the claim on the Telegram messaging platform. The claim was
circulated by several ISIS supporters. ISIS identified the suicide bombers
as Egyptian nationals. Egyptian authorities have not confirmed the
bombers' nationalities.
In their claim of responsibility, ISIS warned of more attacks with this
message: "The Crusaders and their tails from the apostates must be aware
that the bill between us and them is very large and they will be paying it
like a river of blood from their sons, if God willing."
The first blast was in the northern city of Tanta, where a powerful
explosion ripped through a Palm Sunday service at St. George's Church,
killing 27 people and wounding 78 others, state TV reported. The explosive
device was planted under a seat in the main prayer hall, it said.
Not long after that, at least 16 people were killed and 41 others wounded
in a suicide bomb attack outside St. Mark's Coptic Orthodox Cathedral in
Alexandria, according to two state-news outlets. Egyptian state media also
reported that the head of Egypt's Coptic Church, Pope Tawadros II, was
inside the cathedral when the blast happened. He was not injured.
In a statement, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi condemned the
attacks, saying the "outrageous" action "targets both the Copts and
Muslims of the homeland." He ordered investigators to "hunt down the
perpetrators" and "take all measures to offer the necessary care for the
wounded."
He called an urgent meeting of his country's National Defense Council and
declared three days of nationwide mourning.
"The attack will not undermine the resolve and true will of the Egyptian
people to counter the forces of evil, but will only harden their
determination to move forward on their trajectory to realize security,
stability and comprehensive development," the statement said.
United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres also condemned the
attacks and offered his sympathies to the victims and to the country in
statement through a spokesman.
Guterres "wishes a quick recovery to those injured and hopes that the
perpetrators of this horrific terrorist act will be swiftly identified and
brought to justice," the spokesman, Stéphane Dujarric, said.
The US State Department, in a statement, also issued a rebuke, calling the
bombings "barbaric attacks on Christian places of worship."
"The United States will continue to support Egypt's security and stability
in its efforts to defeat terrorism," said acting spokesperson Mark Toner.
Rescue workers help a victim of the attack in Alexandria.
The horrific attacks were the latest against Christians in the region,
this time on Palm Sunday -- the Sunday before Easter, and the day that
marks the start of Holy Week for Christians.
Nile and Masriya TV, Egyptian state outlets, aired black banners in the
upper left of its newscasts to signify mourning for the victims of both
explosions.
News footage from Tanta shows people gathering at the church, singing
hymns. The video then quickly switches to bars as harrowing screams and
cries echo in the background.
"Everything is destroyed inside the church" and blood can be seen on
marble pillars, said Peter Kamel, who saw the aftermath of the carnage.
It appeared the explosive device was placed near the altar, he said.
Priests and the church choir were among the casualties.
In Alexandria, the Interior Ministry said in a statement that police
assigned to St. Mark's stopped a terrorist with an explosive belt from
breaking into the church. Along with civilians, a policeman, a policewoman
and other police staff were killed.
Egyptian blogger Maged Butter told CNN he saw five or six ambulances and
blood stains 100 meters away from the site of the explosion -- which
happened near the church gate.
He said women were crying and looking for their loved ones and were
yelling at police for "not protecting" them.
"Every now and then, I see a person crying -- I think they are Christian -
- and they keep saying: 'have you seen my family? Have you seen my
family?' " Butter said.
Fadi Sami, another witness, was inside the Alexandria cathedral when he
heard about the church bombing in Tanta, when the Coptic pope was leading
the prayers for Palm Sunday.
And even though no one announced the Tanta news, Sami said he could hear
the sadness in the pope's voice. He left as the pope finished the sermon.
Twenty minutes later, a suicide bomber blew himself up at the gate of the
church.
"I came back and the area was covered in smoke. The stores around the
church were all destroyed," he said. "There were bodies and body parts
everywhere, outside and inside the gate. I saw a man put together what was
left of his son in a bag."
Women try to reach loved ones after the attack in Alexandria.
Alexandria sits on the Mediterranean and has a large Christian population.
Downtown is usually busy but was relatively quiet on Sunday because of the
holiday. "This is usually a very busy area, but thank God it is a Sunday,
and many shops are closed," he said.
Copts in Egypt have faced persecution and discrimination that has spiked
since the toppling of Hosni Mubarak's regime in 2011.
Dozens have been killed in sectarian violence. In December, an attack at a
Coptic church in Cairo killed 25 people.
Coptic churches and homes have been set on fire, members of the Coptic
minority have been physically attacked, and their property has been
looted, rights group Amnesty International reported in March.
Coptic Christians make up about 10% of Egypt's population of 91 million.
They base their theology on the teachings of the apostle Mark, who
introduced Christianity to Egypt. Tanta is roughly 60 miles (96
kilometers) north of Cairo, in the Nile delta.
The bombings come days after President Donald Trump welcomed el-Sisi to
Washington and stressed his support for Egypt. Among the topics of mutual
concern were terrorism and ISIS. Trump tweeted a condemnation of Sunday's
attacks and said he has "great confidence el-Sisi will handle the
situation properly."
El-Sisi met Saturday with a US congressional delegation led by US Rep.
Darrell Issa, the Egyptian government said. The meeting addressed Egypt's
counterterrorism efforts and a strategy to fight terror while encouraging
religious tolerance and acceptance of others.
Pope Francis is scheduled to visit Cairo this month, where he will meet
with various religious leaders, including the head of the Coptic Orthodox
Church. He expressed his grief following the church attack.
The Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, called the attacks "evil" and
urged people to pray for the victims. Russia's President Vladimir Putin
condemned the attack and offered his condolences to el-Sisi, according to
Russia's state-run Tass.
--
Donald J. Trump, 304 electoral votes to 227, defeated compulsive liar in
denial Hillary Rodham Clinton on December 19th, 2016. The clown car
parade of the democrat party has run out of gas.
Congratulations President Trump. Thank you for ending the disaster of the
Obama presidency.
Under Barack Obama's leadership, the United States of America became the
The World According To Garp.
ObamaCare is a total 100% failure and no lie that can be put forth by its
supporters can dispute that.
Obama jobs, the result of ObamaCare. 12-15 working hours a week at minimum
wage, no benefits and the primary revenue stream for ObamaCare. It can't
be funded with money people don't have, yet liberals lie about how great
it is.
Obama increased total debt from $10 trillion to $20 trillion in the eight
years he was in office, and sold out heterosexuals for Hollywood queer
liberal democrat donors.